Our Shortcomings
by Darth Phex
Summary: "Words of concern died on his lips upon seeing the scout hunched over the fallen creature."  What should have been a night of pleasure turns tragic after an unforeseen accident.


After having haunted the transformers community of fanfiction for quite some time now, I have finally created my own. Would like to thank my beta reader Amyspirit, whom without which I would have angered the grammar gods with all the technical fallacies I committed when I handed this over to her. I hope you all like it and I hope to write more Transformers fics in the future! ~Phex

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><p>They never saw it coming.<p>

Admittedly they where being more careless than usual. Having just finished watching a relaxing sunset, they couldn't help feeling invigorated by the atmosphere of each other's presence. Now as dusk crept in they went speeding down the mountainside en route to the Ark with little care other than their present company.

In playfully high spirits, Mirage had initiated a race of sorts, making sure to cheekily kick some dust up at hound with the acceleration of his tires. Not one to back down from a challenge (especially when his companion was in such rare form, having no qualms about getting down and dirty) Hound chased after the speeding formula one car. Encouraged by the lively bite of the cool spring air the two lovers chased one another recklessly down the embankment in hot pursuit. While exchanging playful banter through their comlinks and revving engine competitively neither of them were paying much attention to their surroundings.

Neither of them had seen the doe that had leapt out onto the road.

Mirage's headlights flared as his sensors picked up the organic mammal with nanoseconds to spare. Tires screamed through the night as honed reflexes from vorns as a special ops agent kicked in, veering hard and sending him flying wide to impact painfully into a nearby tree. His audio sensors were unable to interpret the cry of surprise from his companion accompanied the corresponding telltale grind of metal along unforgiving road.

Mind whirling with confusion, Mirage slowly transformed, gingerly locking cogs and gears into place as pain throbbed dully threw his circuits. He knew that the injuries he had sustained where only minor but also knew he would be feeling like slag when the morning came. The fog from his processor cleared instantaneously upon looking up to find Hounds larger frame silhouetted against the rising moon.

His companion was crouched over in his bipedal form in the road. Long gashes and dents that littered his frame spoke of a similar as wreck, having possibly colliding a few times with the unforgiving gravel.

Mirage shakily hastened to his peds and stumbled over to his lover. Words of concern died on his lips upon seeing the scout hunched over the fallen creature.

Its form was difficult to make out in the combined light of their optics and scant moon light but the crumpled form was impossible to misinterpret. Its fur tousled about and matted in areas with blood as its slender figure was now contorted; a once graceful neck now bent at an unnatural angle.

Mirage shuttered slightly half in mortification and half out of a crushing pity at the dismal sight. The figure beside him was utterly still, optics dimmed to their lowest settings and a deep-set frown twitched spasmodically at the edges. With closer inspection the spy could just make out the darker splashes of organic lifeblood already drying on the others frame.

Mirage slowly wrapped his arms around Hounds shoulders, promising support that he knew the scout would need. With a half sob Hound pressed himself further into the offered embrace, his own servos coming up to enclose his faceplates. Mirage held him for what seemed like a small eternity, guilt and empathy constricting his spark uncomfortably.

He knew that Hound wasn't a mere sparkling, and that as a mech who loved and respected the wonders of organic Earth, was fully aware of the nature of these tragic occurrences. But he also knew that Hound had a gentle and nurturing spark. The shocking transition between utter euphoria to the violent and grim circumstances they where now in had enough to give anyone whip lash!

So Mirage silently held his lover and gave him this moment to show his weakness and remorse. While he knew that they may never speak of this again, they silently recognized that as a pair they had both committed the sin by behaving foolishly. However, he knew Hound would always see the blood of the doe residing on his hands alone, and he would allow himself to stew in that guilt, at least for a short time.

It stabbed Mirage to the core to know this, but he also knew that Hound wouldn't be convinced either way. Sure it would only be a matter of time before the scout was back to smiles stretching wide across his faceplates and teasing Mirage in that heartfelt way that spoke volumes of the adoration he felt for his lover. There lives would continue on and no one would be the wiser. But right now things were not so sweet.

Mirage was brought out of his melancholy thoughts when Hound stirred in his arms. Without a word he withdrew from the embrace. Silently, Hound crouched forward, and as carefully as possible lifted the cooling corpse, distributing the deer's weight evenly between his open servos and forearms with great respect as one who would carry a sacrifice.

Mirage watched passively as the body was collected from the ground and carried a short distance into the woods beyond the road. Grim curiosity possessed his aching frame to follow that of his companion, wincing slightly when he passed the pulverized tree that inertia had intimately introduced him to not minutes before.

Seemingly satisfied upon finding a moss carpeted enclave a short ways from the road, Hound lowered the deer to the earth. The carpeting of green, cast in black in the dark of the night, embraced its offering, promising that the deer's fait was now in the good hands of scavengers and organic decay.

They stood for a short time, all the forest around them joining in on their makeshift vigil. Hound cycled air in a gust through his intakes, in likeness of a human sign of fatigue, and turned back to Mirage with a weary smile. Offering up his own look of encouragement, Mirage clasped his servo around the other's shoulder and led them both back to the road. It would be a tough couple of days for the two of them but they would make it through it, just as they always had.

Mirage mentally cringed, deciding that he didn't have the spark to mention to Hound the fawn that he had caught sight of making its way to its mother after they had retreated from the clearing.


End file.
